The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1648]
Who hauing appointed this day to hunt in one of his Forrests called for his Sonne Dorastus to go sport himselfe, because he saw that of late hee began to lowre: but his men made answere that hee was gone abroad none knewe whither, except he were gone to the groue to walke all alone, as his custome was to doe euery day.
The King willing to waken him out of his dumpes, sent one of his men to goe seeke him, but in vaine, for at last he returned, but finde him he could not, so that the king went himselfe to goe see the sport: where passing away the day, returning at night from hunting, hee asked for his sonne, but he could not be heard of, which drave the king into a great choler: whereupon most of his noble men and other courtiers, posted abroad to seeke him, but they could not heare of him through all Sicilia, onely they missed Capnio his man, which againe made the king suspect that hee was not gone farre.
Two or three dayes being passed, and no newes heard of Dorastus, Egistus began to feare that he was deuoured with some wilde beastes, and vpon that made out a great troupe of men to goe seeke him: who coasted through all the Countrey, and searched in euery daungerous and secret place, vntill at last they met with a Fisherman that was sitting in a little couert hard by the sea side mending his nettes, when Dorastus and Fawnia tooke shipping: who being examined if he either knewe or heard where the Kings sonne was, without any secrecie at all reuealed the whole matter, how he was sayled two daies past, and had in his company his man Capnio, Porrus and his faire Daughter Fawnia. This heauie newes was presently caried to the king, who halfe dead for sorrow commaunded Porrus wife to be sent for: she being come to the Pallace, after due examination, confessed that her neighbours had oft tolde her that the kings sonne was too familier with Fawnia her daughter: wherenpon her husband fearing the worst, about two dayes past (hearing the King should goe an hunting) rose earely in the morning and went to make his complaint, but since she neither heard of him, nor saw him. Egistus perceyuing the womans vnfeigned simplicitie, let her depart without incurring further displeasure, conceiving such secret greife for his Sonnes recklesse follie, that he had so forgotten his honour and parentage, by so base a choise to dishonor his father, and discredit himselfe, that with very care and thought he fell into a quartan feuer, which was so vnfit for his aged yeares and complexion, that he became so weake, as the Phisitions would graunt him no life.
But his sonne Dorastus little regarded either father, country: or kingdome, in respect of his Lady Fawnia, for fortune smyling on his young nouice, lent him so luckie a gale of wind, for the space of a day and a night, that the Mariners lay and slept vpon the hatches: but on the next morning about the breake of the day, the aire began to be ouercast, the winds to rise, the seas to swell, yea presently there arose such a fearfull tempest, as the ship was in danger to be swallowed vp with euery sea, the maine mast with the violence of the wind was thrown ouer boord, the sayles were torne, the tackling went in sunder, the storme raging still so furiously that poore Fawnia was almost dead for feare, but that she was greatly comforted with the presence of Dorastus. The tempest continued three dayes, all which time the Mariners euery minute looked for death, and the aire was so darkned with cloudes that the Maister could not tell by his compasse in what coast they were. But vpon the fourth day about ten of the clocke, the wind began to cease, the sea to wax calme, and the sky to be cleare, and the Mariners descryed the coast of Bohemia, shooting of their ordinance for ioy that they had escaped such a fearefull tempest.
Dorastus